Zhanjiang Oysters

Zhanjiang oysters are farmed in the clean seas off the Leizhou Peninsula, plump and full, typically charcoal-grilled, steamed with garlic or steamed plain, brightened with lemon or light soy.

With sea on three sides and a long coastline, Zhanjiang's coastal waters are ideal for oysters, and places like Guandu and Potou have farmed them for generations, making the oyster a signature local seafood carried into street life by the city's late-night dining culture.

At late-night stalls the favourite is charcoal-grilled oysters, garlic and chill heaped on the meat and grilled in the shell until sizzling, slurped hot; steamed plain, they are taken with soy sauce to taste the sea.

Plump oysters grilled in the shell under a blanket of garlic are the iconic image of a Zhanjiang late-night stall.